Usic-leaf turner



(No Model.)

W. A. BARROWS. MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

Patented Dec. 81, 1895.

Unrrnn STATES ATENT OFFICE.

IVALTEP. A. BARROIVS, OF AURORA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL A. TAYLOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MUSIC=LEAF TU RN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,228, dated December 31, 1895.

Application filed March 11, 1895.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER A. Bnaaows, residing at Aurora, Kane county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Music-Leaf Turners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of turners which are provided with rotatable springpressed arms, and the particular object is to IO simplify the means for releasing these arms one at a time and also to provide novel mechanism for the insertion of all the arms at one operation to a position within the releasing mechanism.

My invention embodies other novel points and advantages of manufacture and operation; and it consists in the features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my complete turner. Figs. 2, 3, and -l are sectional views taken on lines 2, 8, and a, respectively, of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 5, an enlarged side elevation of one of the clamps on the end of the arms; Fig. 6, a detail view, enlarged, of the guide-piece on the first arm 5 Fig. 7, an enlarged sectional view, partly in elevation, taken on line 7 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 8, an enlarged detail of one arm and its hub.

In making my improved music-leaf turner I take preferably a support or board A having an extension or rightangled piece A. I prefer to mount all the operative parts upon one baseplate preferably of sheet metal, and to this end I provide a plate B suitably stamped and secured to the board in any desired manner and substantially in the position thereon as shown in Fig. 1. Substantially along the middle line of the turner lugs Z Z) are provided upon the plate, which lugs afford a bearing for a short pin 0 upon which is loosely mounted a series of hubs 11 corresponding to the number of leaf-turning arms. As clearly shown in Fig. 7, the inner ends of the arms are rigidly secured to their respective hub, and the ends of suitable springs c, lying in the hollow portion or periphery of the hubs, are fastened, respectively, to the arms and to an upturned portion c of the base-plate.

Serial No. 541,227. (No model.)

The normal position of the arms is obviously upon the left hand side of the board, as indicated by the group O.

Upon the right-hand side of the board I arrange my mechanism for holding the arms upon that side against the tension of their springs and for releasing them one at a time. This mechanism consists of an upright plate D preferably continuous and integral with the base-plate and provided with a deep narrow slot open at the top and forming a channel for the reception of the arms. An actuating-lever E is pivoted at 6 upon the plate D and is provided with two arms e e, as shown in Fig. 4, and also with a finger-piece E. Arranged within a suitable casing or box, of which plate D forms a side, are two plungers F and G preferably stamped from sheet metal and of the form shown. The lower plunger F is provided with a foot or projection f, impinged by the arm 6 of the lever. At the opposite end of the plunger a projection f is provided adjacent to the channel. Arranged in front of this plunger is a plunger G having an elongated recessed portion, thereby forming a shoulder g,whose inside face is contracted by the arm 6 of the lover. The other end is provided with the ratchet-shaped or inclined projection g, which normally extends across the channel. Aspring g of suitable tension normally forces this plunger in the position shown in Fig. 4:, while a similar spring f normally retains the other plunger in a retracted position and in contact with an arm of the lever. As illustrated in Fig. 1, all the operative parts are contained in a narrow boX or casing, of which the plate D forms one face, while the screw e upon which the lever is pivoted secures any suitable face-plate to the 0 casing. The plungers slide upon each other and upon the ends of the casing, and thus separate hearings or guides, &c. ,are dispensed with and the number of parts, screws, &c., reduced to a minimum.

Mounted upon the free ends of the springpressed arms are the means for holding the individual sheets or leaves of music, which consist of an outside loop H of wire and a somewhat smaller loop H, but curved longi- 10o tudinally in and out of the plane of the other loop, as shown in Fig. 5, whereby the leaves may be slipped between the loops and securely though removably held therein. The ends of both loops may be secured rigidly in any desired manner to the ends of the springpressed armsas, for instance, by soldering into a sleeve-piece h upon the arms. Upon the first arm, which is lowermost when the arms are in their normal position on the left, I prefer to secure rigidly a forked guide-piece J having a flaring mouth, as shown in detail in Fig. 6. A channel of sufficient depth is provided to accommodate all of the arms, which will thus be guided and kept in perfect alignment; also in rotating the arms all together to the right there will be no danger of one arm riding over upon another or in any way becoming bent or injured.

Upon the board extension A, I locate a simple and inexpensive means for holding the music to the turner and consisting of a flat strip K secured to the board and having its sides 7c turned over to form a wedgeshaped passage orguide. Preferably from a fiat blank of metal the music-clamp proper is stamped and the straight side portions 7.9 7& are bent and brought close together to form a spring-clamp with flared ends. The base portion K is stamped taperingly, as shown in Fig. 1, and is adapted to fit rem'ovably in the strip K. In this way I provide a simple and efficient clamp, which may be readily removed when it is desired to place a book of music on the turner. In addition to this clamp I prefer to provide the turner with suitable clamps or spring-fingers L L, in order to hold the covers of a book or the unused portions or leaves of sheet music.

My turner, being constructed as hereinbefore set forth, operates as follows: All or any necessary number of arms are first rotated to the right-hand side against the tension of their springs and are pressed into the channel in the plate D, the plunger G being automatically forced back against its spring g as the armsare pressed downward, whereby all the arms can be inserted in the releasing mechanism automatically at one operation. As soon as the front arm is behind the point g, the plunger will be forcedforward and prevent the escape and rotation of the arms. WVhen sheet-music is used, the back is drawn between the clamping-pieces 7o 70 and the lower free corners of the leaves, as usual, are

inserted in the loops or clamps II II at the end of the arms. In case, however, a book is used, the clamp is removed and the covers of the book are held under the spring-fingers L l/V-hen itis desired to release the first arm and turn a leaf, the actuating-lever E is depressed and the plunger G retracted by the end 6 of the lever. Simultaneously, how ever, the end (2 forces the plunger F forward between two adjacent arms. The first arm is then free to rotate to its normal position on the left, while the next succeeding arm is held in the channel by the plunger F. The

parts are restored to their normal position (shown in Fig. 4) by the springs f g, the projecting point of the plunger G bridging the channel, and the second arm will be in the position immediately behind this plunger, once assumed by the first arm. The second arm may be released in the same manner. As the arms are rotated to the left-hand side, they are directed to their proper position and held in perfect alignment by means of the guide-piece J, carried by the first arm. As before stated, this guide-piece will also be found of advantage when rotating all the arms simultaneously to a position in the releasing device. The operation of the other arms is precisely the same.

It will be understood that the number and length of the arms may be varied to suit circumstances or the demands of the trade without altering the nature and substance of the invention.

It will be observed that the operative parts are very simple in. construction and the number of them is reduced to a minimum. I also dispense with many screws, he, usually employed, and use but one, which not only forms the fulcru1n-point of the actuating-lever, but also serves to secure a face-plate upon the box or casing. Furthermore, the plungers are not liable to become deranged or injured, but a positive releasement is always assured.

My turner may be used upon the musicracks of pianos or organs, or arranged upon the usual orchestral racks or stands and may be operated by the hand or foot, as desired, in which latter case suitable operative connec tion is made between the lever and the foot of the player.

Although I have described more or less precise forms and details of construction I do not intend to be understood as limiting myself thereto,as I contemplate changes in form, proportion of parts, and substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, and, furthermore, I contemplate using my invention wherever applica ble without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim--= 1,. In a music leaf turner, the combination of a series of spring pressed arms, mechanism for releasing the arms one at a time con sisting of two plungers extending toward the arms and adapted to move simultaneously but in opposite directions,the outermost plunger normally holding the arms and the other plunger being free thereof, means for actuating the plungers, the outermost plunger being retractible independent of the other plunger and adapted to be automatically forced from its normal position by the arms as they are inserted inthe releasing mechanism.

2. In a music leaf turner, the combination of a series of spring pressed arms andmechanism for releasing the arms one at a time consisting of a pivoted actuating lever and plungers contacting the lever at each side of its pivotal point, the outermost plunger being retractible independent of the other plunger and provided with a substantially ratchet shaped point projecting in the path of the arms whereby the arms may be inserted in the releasing mechanism but are normally prevented from escaping.

3. In a music leaf turner, the combination of a series of spring pressed arms and mechanism for releasing the arms one at a time consisting of a pivoted actuating lever provided with arms 6 e, a plunger F contacting arm e and normally held in a retracted position, a plunger G normally held in an advanced position and provided with an elongated recess against whose lower side the point e bears, said plunger Ghavin g a substantially ratchet shaped point g projecting in the path of the spring pressed arms whereby as such arms are rotated toward the releasing mechanism they will be free to enter therein without interference from the plungers but adapted to be normallyretained by the plunger G.

I. In a music leaf turner, the combination of a series of spring pressed arms and mechanism for releasing the arms one at a time consisting of two plungers, the outermost plunger normally holding the arms and the other plunger being free thereof and means for actuating the plungers, the outermost plunger being retractible independent of the other plunger and having its free end provided with a tooth. g inclined on. its outer edge and projecting in the path of the arms whereby the outermost plunger may be automatically forced aside by the arms as they are inserted.

5. In a music leaf turner, a removable clamp for holding the back of sheets of music comprising, in combination with a board or base, a flat strip K attached to the board and having its sides 70 k bent to form a tapering slide or groove, a flat tapering strip K and parallel spring bars 70 k carried by the strip K.

6. In a music leaf turner the combination of a series of spring pressed arms of a guide piece secured upon one of the arms, such guide piece having substantially parallel members extending therefrom forming a channel to receive the other arms whereby perfect alignment of the arms may be maintained.

7 In a music leaf turner, the combination with spring pressed arms of a guide piece J rigidly secured to the lowermost arm and adapted to hold the other arms one in front of another, such guide piece being provided with a flaring mouth whereby the arms in their rotation will be directed into the channel of the guide piece.

WALTER A, BARROWS.

lVitnesses:

S. A. TAYLOR, SAMUEL E. HIBBEN. 

